An Act To Require Forest Rangers To Be Trained in Order To Allow Them To Carry Firearms

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. PL 1999, c. 352, §§3 and 4 are repealed.

Sec. 2. Law enforcement training for forest rangers policy. The Director of the Division of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall develop and institute a policy that requires all forest rangers appointed by the director pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 8901, subsection 1 to attend a law enforcement training course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy as a condition of continued employment. Forest rangers who are employed by the Division of Forestry on the effective date of this section shall attend and complete the 4-week preservice training course described in Title 25, section 2804-B no later than July 1, 2014. Forest rangers who are appointed after the effective date of this section shall attend and complete the basic law enforcement training course described in Title 25, section 2804-C. The policy must exempt those persons who have previously attended a preservice law enforcement training course or a basic law enforcement course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

Sec. 3. Firearms training and equipment plans. The State Supervisor of the forest protection unit of the Division of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the director of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy jointly shall develop a plan to provide training to forest rangers in the use of firearms, bulletproof vests and other related equipment. The State Supervisor shall develop a plan to furnish firearms and equipment to those forest rangers who have completed the training course developed jointly by the State Supervisor and the director of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy for the performance of those forest rangers’ law enforcement duties. The plans developed pursuant to this section are subject to the requirements of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 25, section 2803-B, subsection 1 and must be submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety for review no later than November 1, 2013. The plans must be implemented no later than January 1, 2014.

summary

This bill repeals 2 provisions of Public Law 1999, chapter 352 that require the Commissioner of Conservation to sell all bulletproof vests, firearms and related equipment and that prohibit the commissioner from purchasing bulletproof vests, firearms or related equipment without specific authorization by the Legislature. This bill requires the Director of the Division of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to develop a policy that requires all forest rangers to attend and complete a law enforcement training course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy as a condition of continued employment. Forest rangers employed as such on the day this bill takes effect are required to attend the 4-week preservice training course and forest rangers hired after the effective date are required to take the basic law enforcement training course. A forest ranger who has already attended a law enforcement training course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy is exempt.

The bill also requires the State Supervisor of the forest protection unit in the Division of Forestry and the director of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy to develop a plan to provide training to forest rangers in the use of firearms, bulletproof vests and other related equipment. The State Supervisor is directed to develop a plan to furnish such firearms and equipment to those forest rangers for the performance of their law enforcement duties. The plans must be submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety for review no later than November 1, 2013 and implemented, including furnishing firearms and related equipment, no later than January 1, 2014.